Talking in Circles

The hosts discuss the X-Men film franchise in depth, covering the original trilogy and First Class before diving into X-Men Days of Future Past. They share favorite moments across the films—from Nightcrawler's White House sequence in X2 to the Xavier-Magneto bond in First Class—and debate storytelling choices like Kitty Pryde's role in the time travel plot. They also compare the movie version of Days of Future Past to the original comic and animated series, highlighting how Mystique remains the central antagonist across all three versions.

The hosts catch up on their weeks—celebrating one host's wife graduating from Johns Hopkins, discussing favorite meals, and diving into what they've been watching. They discuss Sam Raimi's 1990s Western The Quick and the Dead, featuring a young Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe's first American film role. They also cover a Percy Jackson book featuring mythology and demigod heroes, debate the second Guardians of the Galaxy trailer and its appeal to mainstream audiences, and dig deep into the 2014 Godzilla film—analyzing its monster battles, Ken Watanabe's character, Aaron Taylor-Johnson's performance, comparisons to Pacific Rim, and the original kaiju's cultural legacy.

The hosts discuss their week including baseball games, Pizza Hut, and reading—then dive into TV trailers and recent media. They cover Arrow's season finale and get excited about the new Flash TV series coming to the CW, analyzing the trailer and what it means for the show. They also discuss Gotham's early promotional materials and the recently released Batman photo featuring Ben Affleck in the suit, debating the costume design and what it could mean for the character. The episode is missing its second half due to a recording equipment failure, but the first half covers TV trailers, what they've been watching, and the infamous Batman photo that sparked internet discussion.

Dan, Chuck, and Greg debate who should make up the Mount Rushmore of comedy—four iconic faces representing the entire landscape of comedy over the past century. They discuss Bill Murray as a strong contender for his versatility across stand-up, sketch, and film, then explore candidates like Rich Little (master impressionist), Richard Pryor, and Bill Cosby, while also considering honorable mentions including Steve Martin, Leslie Nielsen, Tim Conway, Rodney Dangerfield, John Candy, Frank Caliendo, and Adam Sandler. The hosts grapple with what criteria matter most: mainstream recognition, range across different comedy mediums, longevity, and cultural impact.

The hosts draft superheroes to build their ultimate comic book teams, inspired by the NFL Draft. Greg selects Dr. Strange, Vision, and The Flash for a mystical interdimensional adventure story. Chuck builds "The Untouchables"—a team of characters who are literally or figuratively untouchable, including Rogue, Blink, Human Torch, Fire Lord, and Nightcrawler. Dan assembles a covert operations team with Captain America, Nightwing, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Black Panther, imagining a CIA-meets-comics spy thriller. Each host pitches their comic concept, selects a writer and artist, and discusses what makes their roster work as a team. The episode closes with Chuck's letter using 50 song titles from 1990s music woven into a story about Generation Y's musical upbringing.

Chuck, Greg, and Dan count down their favorite comic book stories of all time. Chuck discusses Pacific Rim and G.I. Joe: Retaliation, including issues with Channing Tatum's unnecessary screen time and the film's overreliance on exposition. Dan talks through "Tower of Babel," a Batman story where he reveals contingency plans against the Justice League, and praises its superior take on the concept compared to the animated Justice League film. Greg covers Old Man Logan (Wolverine's future dystopia), X-Men: Mutant Genesis (the iconic 1991 relaunch), and Hellboy: Seeds of Destruction. Dan's picks include The Winter Soldier, which revamped Bucky and Captain America's legacy, and Infinity Gauntlet, exploring Thanos's quest to assemble the infinity gems and win the favor of Death.

Greg, Chuck, and Dan play a modified version of 20 Questions, asking each other absurd and philosophical questions while sharing stories from their week—including a windshield mishap, movie reviews (The Raid 2, God's Not Dead, and Draft Day), a bizarre coffee shop confrontation about a stolen credit card, and Greg's memorable encounter with a waitress who wouldn't make eye contact. The conversation ranges from potty humor to religion and philosophy, with running jokes about Vladimir Putin and various pop culture references.

Chuck, Dan, and Greg dive into Marvel movies following Captain America: The Winter Soldier's release. They review the film extensively, praising its political thriller tone, action choreography, and character development—especially Cap's moral clarity and fighting prowess. They discuss the film's place in the MCU, compare it to other Phase 2 entries, and explore its ties to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The bulk of the episode focuses on pitching their own Marvel projects: solo films for Black Panther and Black Widow, potential TV shows like Agent Carter and the Inhumans, one-shots for characters like Nova and Beta Ray Bill, and storylines like Old Man Logan and a Thunderbolts team-up.

Talking in Circles goes live from Baltimore to record a grab-bag episode with random geek content. Hosts discuss what they've been watching recently, including Divergent, The Diary of Anne Frank, a bizarre paranormal ghost movie, and Noah. They play a geekified version of Would You Rather, debating scenarios like Wolverine vs. Cyclops and facing Dr. Doom versus Thanos. The second half features truly strange but real news stories: dolphins trained as weapons, a man who stole a boat by swimming and pulling it, urine-powered robots being developed for space exploration, and a drunk college student who broke through a wall into a business to make hot pockets.

The hosts continue their badass bracket tournament, determining which characters from comics, TV, film, music, and sports deserve to advance. In this second half, matchups include Wolverine vs. Gordon Ramsay, Han Solo vs. Tiny Tim, Daryl Dixon vs. Hellboy, Frank Martin vs. Dr. Doom, the Hulk vs. Clint Eastwood, Leonidas vs. John McClane, Adrian Peterson vs. Han Solo, John Wayne vs. Hit Girl, and a final four showdown between Wolverine and John McClane. The hosts debate what truly makes someone a badass—superpowers, real-world accomplishment, vulnerability, or unwavering determination—as characters advance toward a championship face-off.